1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a press-connecting connector in which wires are press-connected respectively to metal terminals received respectively in terminal receiving chambers in a connector housing.
2. Related Art
FIGS. 10 to 12 show one conventional press-connecting connector (U.S. Pat. No. 4,243,288). FIG. 10 is an exploded, perspective view, FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing an assembled condition, and FIG. 12 is an enlarged, cross-sectional view.
The press-connecting connector, shown in FIGS. 10 to 12, is of the male type, and includes a connector housing 1 having two (upper and lower) rows of juxtaposed terminal receiving chambers 3 (in the drawings, the upper row of terminal receiving chambers 3 are mainly shown). An opening 5 for press-connecting purposes is formed in one side (upper side) of each of the upper row of terminal receiving chambers 3 at a rear portion thereof while an opening 5 is formed in one side (lower side) of each of the lower row of terminal receiving chambers 3 at a rear portion thereof. Retaining holes 9 are formed through each of upper and lower walls 7, 8 of the connector housing 1, disposed forwardly of the openings 5, and each of the retaining holes 9 communicates the interior and exterior of the associated terminal receiving chamber 3 with each other.
FIG. 12 shows the cross-section of the upper terminal receiving chambers 3. A female metal terminal 11 is received in each terminal receiving chamber 3, and a resilient lance 13 is engaged in the retaining hole 9.
Wires 15, shown in FIG. 10, are press-connected respectively to the female metal terminals 11, and then covers 17 are releasably attached to the connector housing to cover the openings 5. Therefore, the press-connecting connector can be easily formed. For effecting the maintenance, a tool is inserted into the retaining hole 9 to flex the resilient lance 13, so that the metal terminal 11 can be easily withdrawn from the terminal receiving chamber 3.
However, in the above construction in which the retaining holes 9 are exposed to the exterior, foreign matter is liable to intrude into the terminal receiving chamber 3 through the retaining hole 9, and this leads to a possibility that this foreign matter projects into the adjacent terminal receiving chamber 3, thereby causing the short-circuiting, and besides there is a possibility that the engagement of the resilient lance is canceled by the foreign matter.
To deal with this, it may be proposed to use additional covers for covering the retaining holes 9. In this case, however, in addition to the covers for respectively covering the openings 5, the additional covers must be used, and therefore the number of the component parts increases, which leads to a possibility that the cost increases. And besides, retaining structures for respectively retaining the covers for covering the retaining holes 9 must be provided, which leads to a possibility that the construction becomes complicated. Furthermore, the attachment of the covers 17 for covering the openings 5 must be effected separately from the attachment of the covers for covering the retaining holes 9, and therefore the assembling operation and the maintenance are quite cumbersome.